10 Oldest Buildings in the World

I have mentioned in the earlier articles that I am very much fond of architecture, in fact, I once considered it as a career. I decided to create a list of ten of the oldest buildings (structures) in the world, just to get an idea and impart an idea about the period when the concept of construction began. Most of these sites happen to be under UNESCO World Heritage Sites and a few of them date back to the Neolithic periods. I hope you have enjoy the read.

10. GREAT PYRAMID OF GIZA

The Great Pyramid of Giza is located in Egypt and was first built in 2650 BC. It is the great Tomb for Pharaoh Khufu of the fourth dynasty. It is the largest of the three pyramids in Giza and it is also the oldest of the seven wonders in the world. It also happens to be the only one to remain intact to such a degree. It is believed that it took around 20 years to build and stood 146.5 meters tall initially. The interesting bit is that when it was it was first built, the outer surface was smooth. What we see now, is what was beneath that outer surface.

9. CARAL

Caral is another pyramid which is located in Peru in South America. It was first built in 2600 BC and is the oldest building in Southern America. Caral was inhabited between 2600 and 2000 BCE, expanding over an area of over 60 hectares. It was described as the oldest urban center in the land. This claim was challenged when other sites were discovered in the area. It accommodated around 3,000 people and is one of the largest Norte Chico sites known to mankind.

8. PYRAMID OF DJOSER

The Pyramid of Djoser is in Egypt (you think of a pyramid and Egypt it is) and as first built between 2667 and 2648 BC. It is a burial site as with all the other pyramids. The Pharaoh Djoser is buried here. The pyramid was around 62 meters tall originally with a base of 109 by 125 meters. It was polished with white limestone. Djoser was either the first or the second king of the 3rd Dynasty and it is believed that he ruled for a period of nineteen years. I wonder why you would build an entire pyramid to bury a person; it obviously is such hard work.

7. MONTE D’ACCODDI

It is located in Italy and was first built between 2700 and 2000 BC. It was discovered in 1954. The base of the structure is a 27 by 27 meter square. The walls of the building are said to have stood around 5.5 meters tall. It is not certain what the place was used for, but it has been described as an altar, a temple and a step pyramid. It would be interesting to get a lock on the usage of these buildings and I hope the archaeologists are somehow able to determine exactly what happened here. It is interesting how the construction of buildings date back to so many years ago.

6. HULBJERG JÆTTESTUE

This place is located in Denmark and was first built in 3000 BC. It is said to be a passage grave. It is a cultural site. There were around seven passage graves within a square kilometer of this site when the area was explored by Petersen in 1874. Not a lot of information regarding this site is available, although, if you are in Denmark, I can tell you exactly how to reach it. Though, I think that wouldn’t be of much use.